The Little merMarik (Yu-Gi-Oh! WA 2017)

23: Unfair

I don't know if this'll happen to you too, but when writing this chapter I had to stop and cry a little.
Marik talked on and on about his collection of human items. He talked about the dinglehopper, and the thingamabobs, and the-

"Marik, they're not called dinglehoppers. They're called 'forks'." Bakura said, correcting everything Marik tried explaining, and taught him what everything was called and how it was used.

"So what's this?" He held up a bar of soap. "When it touches the water it gets all....white."

"That's soap. And those are bubbles." Bakura turned on the faucet and poured a bit of soap into the bath, making it all bubbly.

"Oh My RA." Marik started backing away from the hoard of bubbles making their way toward him.

"Marik, they're not going to hurt you..." Bakura stifled a laugh when seeing Marik's scared face.

"They're gonna eat me, Bakura!"

"No," he snickered. "They're not going to eat you."

Marik ignored him. "Well not if I eat them first!"

Bakura asked, "Marik, what are you.....?"

Marik took a large clump of bubbles and put them in his mouth, then spit it back out. "Bleh!" He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Don't eat the bubbles, Bakura!"

"O-okay." He laughed. "I won't."

Marik licked the bar of soap, and had the same reaction. "Don't eat that either, Bakura. It's revolting."

"Here, I can fix that." He walked over to Marik and pecked him on the lips. "What do I taste like?"

"Bakura." He licked his lips. "You taste like...mint. And murder."

"How do you know what murder tastes like?"

"Murder tastes like chocolate." He said, making a soap beard.

"Then why didn't you just say chocolate?"

"Because murder seemed more appropriate."

Bakura ruffled Marik's hair, and then asked, "Are you uncomfortable, Marik?"

"Huh?"

"The tub. Is it okay? Or are you cramped up a tad?"

Marik nodded. "Maybe a little...but it's fine, I can-ah!" He was caught off guard when Fluffy carried him.

"I have an idea. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

Marik smiled. "Can I?" Then he frowned again. "But, won't I get all dehydrated and stuff?"

"That, Marik," Bakura grinned. "Is where my idea comes in. How long can you last without water?"

"Um..." He shrugged. "Guessing, I'd say about two or three hours."

The kitty smiled. "That's more than enough time."

Down the hall and up the stairs to the attic, Bakura carried the little MerMarik to his bedroom. He set him down on the bed, and raced back down. Marik sat in wonder at what Bakura's idea was. He took of his shirt and lay on the bed, feeling Bakura's soft sheets against his bare back. His hair was light and soft (because merman physics) and he almost fell asleep right there. He couldn't move much when Bakura came back upstairs and dumped a large bucket of water on him and the whole bed.

"What the frig, Bakura?" Marik was caught off guard.

"This bed could be used like a sponge." He explained, ignoring Marik's middle finger. "It absorbs the water and keeps it damp enough to feel and be hydrated."

Marik sat up and pulled Bakura's shirt collar and he fell on top of him. "That's very clever, Fluffy. I'm impressed."
They shared a deep kiss, and Bakura pulled Marik up and closer toward the pillows. "Wait a sec," Marik broke away for a moment. "Won't you get cold and sick?"

"Forget about all that buggary." Bakura smirked. "I'll have you to keep me warm, won't I?"

Marik put himself on top and nuzzled his face against his chest. "Of course, Fluffy." He wrapped Bakura in a hug and shut his eyes, listening to his heartbeat. He began counting how many times it pumped, but he eventually fell asleep trying.

Bakura pulled the soaking blankets over them both and tried to fall asleep, but couldn't stop thinking about Marik. "He doesn't belong here," Ishizu had said.
He suddenly found himself tearing up. He didn't want to let him go. He was the only thing he really cared about. The only one who cared for him.

Slowly, carefully, he flung away the sheets and carried Marik down the stairs. Everyone was asleep, so they couldn't ruin anything. They wouldn't be able to wake Marik up. Bakura quietly made it out the door, even though it creaked and made Marik move bit, but he slept like a baby.

Bakura choked on another sob as he stepped off of the mansion grounds and toward the beach. "Think about what's best for Marik."
He stepped into the sand, hoping to not trip over any rocks.

Mr. Tweetums flew above and chirped very loudly, trying to warn Marik.
"Sh!" Bakura hushed, but to no use. Bloody bird!

Marik stirred and his eyes slowly opened.
"Bakura, where are we?" He yawned, and rubbed his eyes.

Bakura said nothing and felt like sh*t. He couldn't even bring himself to look at him. At those curious lavender eyes that he fell in love with. The ones that stared at him below sea level.
The ones that he swore he wouldn't look at or else he'll lose it.

Marik looked around. "Bakura...why are we at...........?"

He kept walking, not saying a word as he trudged on toward the docks.

"Wait, Bakura." Marik began to worry and his eyes widened. "Bakura!"

Nothing. Not even a blink.

"Bakura...answer me! Bakura! Don't tell me you're........."

Closer and closer.

"No!" Tears threatened to spring from his eyes. "Fluffy! Take me back! I don't want to go! I don't want to live in the ocean again!"
He began pulling his hair and trying to scratch at his face, so Bakura put him over his shoulder.
"Don't make me go! I don't wanna go back there!"

Bakura regretted the single tear that escaped his eye. He regretted everything about this scenario entirely.

Marik began banging his fists against Bakura's back. "Don't put me in the ocean! Take me back, Bakura! Please! I don't want to go back to the ocean!"

Finally Bakura reached the edge of the dock. The water was deep enough here, and he knew Ishizu and Odion were waiting. Marik was sobbing, banging on Bakura's back pleading for anything against this.

Bakura held Marik in front of him again. "I want to stay with you, Bakura. Please...don't..."

Bakura didn't. He didn't dare look at his eyes. Those eyes that were tear filled and begged with everything they've got to stay. To stay with him.

He pressed a quick kiss on Marik's quivering lips, with his eyes shut, and tossed him back into the sea. The merman hit the water and sunk; Marik tried swimming to the surface, but Ishizu and Odion held him down. "BAKURA!!!" He screeched, but tears blurred his vision and his strength was no match form the two of them combined. He struggled, though. He wanted his Fluffy back.
Bakura swore he wouldn't do it. But he did. He glanced at the wrong time, catching Marik's eyes, teary and full of devastation and abandonment.

Ishizu mouthed, "Thank you,"

Bakura just shot daggers at her with his eyes. He hated everything about her and felt she was to blame, although she was right.

Odion and Ishizu pulled Marik deeper and deeper until Bakura couldn't see him anymore. He felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach.
Then when Bakura was certain no one was around, he dropped to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably, repeating, "What have I done?"

His little MerMarik has been taken away.
He may never get him back.